"We are proud to look back on the past"

“It took courage and unwavering faith in the prospects of the Icelandic nation to fight for the sovereignty and the establishment of a republic.”

Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson said this in his opening speech to mark the Independence Day of Iceland on Austurvöllur this morning.

“It’s a real cause to celebrate this milestone when we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Republic on  June 17, 1944, the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson,” said Benediktsson, who thanked in particular the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Ingrida Šimonytė, for coming to Iceland and celebrating the 33rd anniversary of Iceland’s recognition of independence, the first of all countries.

Benediktsson said that the history of the Republic has been marked by dramatic progress in all fields. The drivers of progress have been our independence and sovereignty, democracy, freedom of speech and expression, education, sustainable use of resources, international cooperation, and, most importantly, peace in our country.

In a constant pursuit of improved living standards

“On this basis, the Icelandic nation has been constantly striving for better living conditions: We enjoy better health, there is more equality, more freedom in all fields, our number has increased, the number of jobs has never been more diverse, and the infrastructure of the society, economically and socially, is strong. The purchasing power of the country’s people has grown greatly year by year,” he said.

He added that the republic's founding was rooted in the idea that the Icelandic people would prosper best by taking full responsibility for their national affairs.

“The negotiations for the sovereignty were carried out peacefully and without conflict. The population of Denmark was about 35 times that of Iceland when the treaty was concluded in 1918. On the measure of values and ideals, Denmark showed a sizeable agreement that far more populous and bigger countries cannot achieve until this day.”

Growing concerns about democracy

“In our part of the world, there are growing concerns about democracy, negative impacts of social media, signs of increased polarisation, cyber-attacks, and sub-nationalist forces, which have no care for the future of our citizens. The speed of communication has increased, and the attention span has been reduced to the same extent.”

The Prime Minister said that the exclamations and messages in short video clips are dominating the social media sphere but they do not allow for the depth of the more complex cases.

“False news flows through the internet world, in a fierce contest with the truth, and often there is no critical thinking to distinguish between the two. Measured discussion, that is essential to democracy, is decreasing. And we should remember that the quality of dialogue and the quality of decisions, for the good of the people, go frequently hand in hand.”

Benediktsson said that democracy is our sword and shield against all kinds of external and internal threats; the nation's heart and soul.

“Let’s work together to maintain and always defend our ability to exchange views openly and honestly. Let’s also make sure that we don’t let different attitudes and new challenges even reduce our courage to free speech and to make decisions for the future.”

Good turnout in elections a good sign

Benediktsson thanked the President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson for his work in the interest of the country and its people and wished Halla Tómasdóttir well, but she will take over the presidency from Guðni on August 1.

“With us now sits the honorable sixth president of Iceland, who is about to retire, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his work in the interests of the country and its people. This summer, the seventh president of the Republic, Halla Tómasdóttir, will take over, and we all wish her well. It was a pleasure to see a strong participation in the recent presidential election, which is a true indicator of the strength of democracy and the willingness to participate.”

At the end of his speech, Benediktsson said:

“We are proud to look back on the past, to consider all the achievements we have made in 80 years. We should be happy and we should celebrate. Tomorrow, all of us will continue to do even better for future generations. I wish us all a happy 80th birthday.”